Yes, you can smoke after security at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) — both Terminal A and Terminal B have designated open-air smoking areas airside, so you can light up once you have cleared security and passport control. Because the terminals are naturally ventilated, thatched-roof (palapa) structures, smoking is always at an open-air spot rather than in a sealed indoor room.
PUJ is the Dominican Republic’s busiest airport and the main gateway for the country’s Caribbean resort coast. Its trademark is the open-air palapa architecture: thatched-roof halls cooled by giant fans and sea breeze instead of the enclosed glass-and-air-conditioning of most international terminals. That design is what makes the airport comfortable for smokers, because the smoking areas sit in the open air right beside the gates.
Terminal B — After Security
Terminal B has the most generous provision. Travellers report a spacious open-air smoking area between gates 25 and 26, fitted with tables and chairs and open to views of aircraft taxiing on the apron. A second open-air smoking spot sits up above Gate B32, again with wide views across the airfield. The Terminal B VIP Lounge adds its own outdoor smoking balcony with tables, chairs and ashtrays. All of these are past the security and passport-control checkpoints, so you keep your airside status while you smoke.
Terminal A — After Security
Terminal A also has open-air smoking areas after security. Travellers most often point to spots near Gate A8, near Gate A16, and around the food court. The Terminal A VIP Lounge — airside, past passport control and near gates 5 and 6, opposite the retail row — has its own open-air smoking area for lounge users. Exact positions can shift as the terminal is reorganised, so ask an airport employee or check the gate-area signage for the nearest one.
Before Security and Landside
Landside, smoking is at designated open-air areas outside the terminal buildings — useful before check-in or after you land and collect bags. Once you are through security, the airside open-air areas above are the more convenient option for a departing passenger.
Vaping
Yes, travellers report vaping is tolerated in the same open-air smoking areas. Dominican Republic law does not clearly regulate e-cigarettes. Carry any vape devices and spare batteries in your hand luggage only, never in checked baggage.
Summary table
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal B airside | Yes | Open-air areas between gates 25–26 and above Gate B32; VIP Lounge balcony |
| Terminal A airside | Yes | Open-air spots near gates A8 and A16, food court; VIP Lounge |
| Enclosed indoor room | No | Naturally ventilated open-air palapa terminals |
| Landside / before security | Yes | Designated open-air areas outside the terminals |
For the Dominican Republic’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Dominican Republic airport guide.